Q&A With: Kirk Olivadotti

Site Staff

08/03/2009

The Redskins linebackers coach discusses in detail the transition from end to linebacker for Brian Orakpo.

Q: What is the process with Brian toward building up for the regular season?
A: When you get a rookie in general you start from the bottom floor as if you don't know anything. Basically you start like it's brand new. It's good for the vets to hear it from the ground floor also. You start at the ground floor with everybody and work your way up into it.

Q: What is the ground floor?A: The first thing that all the rookies are told, or any new player who comes here, is to know where to line up. They have to know where to line up. We'll teach them how to move and what to look at, but they have to know where to line up to get to the next step. Cody Glenn, the first thing I told him is know where to line up and play on special teams.

Q: With Brian, what are the extra things you have to do to get him to up to speed faster?A: His eyes are going to be totally different. These guys that have played linebacker have tight end expanded vision. His eyes are what you have to work on the most. This is what you look at and this is what it means. If a guy stands up straight, this is what it means. You have to teach them what to look at.

Q: You seem happy because he's a quick learner, but this isn't an easy thing20to do. How will you judge him, because he'll have good days and bad days?A: Again, his eyes are what you need to work on so when he's in space, what is he looking at? The movement part of it, that's why we have him at linebacker because that is something he could do. He can move the way we want him to move, now he just has to look at [the right things]. It's different because he has to take angles and rework his footwork. But there's a lot of guys who come in who we have to rework their footwork with.

Q: How is he turning and running?A: He's fine with all that stuff. There are linebackers playing in the league that have hips like him and run like him. At the combine the numbers are just numbers, but he ran as fast as linebackers run in the three-cone drills. He has the ability to do things like that.

Q: What are some other little things he has to learn?A: He's had six inches between him and the first guy he's had to hit for the last couple of years. Now he has four or five yards and the footwork getting up to it and at the point of contact and having his body position correct. When you see us hitting bags, that's what it is, it's the approach footwork, the footwork once you're there. How do you want to hit guys? Those are things inherent to playing linebacker that is new to him.

Q: Any doubts he'll make it work?A: We have to see him in games, like any other rookie. He is progressing and I like where he's at.

John Keim covers the Redskins for the Washington Examiner and is a contributing editor for Warpathinsiders.com. He has covered the team since 1994. Some of his other stories can be found at dcexaminer.com

\r\n","mobileBody":"Q: What is the process with Brian toward building up for the regular season? A: When you get a rookie in general you start from the bottom floor as if you don't know anything. Basically you start like it's brand new. It's good for the vets to hear it from the ground floor also. You start at the ground floor with everybody and work your way up into it.

Q: What is the ground floor?A: The first thing that all the rookies are told, or any new player who comes here, is to know where to line up. They have to know where to line up. We'll teach them how to move and what to look at, but they have to know where to line up to get to the next step. Cody Glenn, the first thing I told him is know where to line up and play on special teams.

Q: With Brian, what are the extra things you have to do to get him to up to speed faster?A: His eyes are going to be totally different. These guys that have played linebacker have tight end expanded vision. His eyes are what you have to work on the most. This is what you look at and this is what it means. If a guy stands up straight, this is what it means. You have to teach them what to look at.

Q: You seem happy because he's a quick learner, but this isn't an easy thing20to do. How will you judge him, because he'll have good days and bad days?A: Again, his eyes are what you need to work on so when he's in space, what is he looking at? The movement part of it, that's why we have him at linebacker because that is something he could do. He can move the way we want him to move, now he just has to look at [the right things]. It's different because he has to take angles and rework his footwork. But there's a lot of guys who come in who we have to rework their footwork with.

Q: How is he turning and running?A: He's fine with all that stuff. There are linebackers playing in the league that have hips like him and run like him. At the combine the numbers are just numbers, but he ran as fast as linebackers run in the three-cone drills. He has the ability to do things like that.

Q: What are some other little things he has to learn?A: He's had six inches between him and the first guy he's had to hit for the last couple of years. Now he has four or five yards and the footwork getting up to it and at the point of contact and having his body position correct. When you see us hitting bags, that's what it is, it's the approach footwork, the footwork once you're there. How do you want to hit guys? Those are things inherent to playing linebacker that is new to him.

Q: Any doubts he'll make it work?A: We have to see him in games, like any other rookie. He is progressing and I like where he's at.

John Keim covers the Redskins for the Washington Examiner and is a contributing editor for Warpathinsiders.com. He has covered the team since 1994. Some of his other stories can be found at dcexaminer.com